Circular loom



Dwz?, 193s.

J. BALSACH CIRCULAR Loom 5 sheets-sheet 1y Filed Dec. 4, 1936 Dec. 27, 1938. J. BALSACH 2,141,679

C IRCULAR LOOM J. EAI-SACH CIRCULAR LOOM Filed Dec. 4, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 .J. BALsAcH v 2,141,679

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed Dec. 4, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 f: l E,

"15 have beating reeds for 25 a single 40 0f the wir, or letting out of Patented Dec. 27, 1938 PATENT OFFCE 2,141,679 'CIRCULAR LooM Juan Balsach,

Sabadell, Spain Application December 4, 1936, Serial Nc. 114,249

In Spain 8 Claims.

Y This invention consists in improvements in circular looms and the object of the invention is to provide a circular loom for the manufacture of fabrics in tubular form, by means of which a large 5- output can be secured because the arrangement of the essential component parts of the loom allows the machine to operate at a greater speed than known circular looms, and consequently of obtaining a large number of throws of the shuttle l per minute.

The known circular looms make use, in the majority of cases, of two or more shuttles actuated in different ways, and all of them have two yor more beams for the Warp yarns. Some looms the weft and others have not, but generally the existing looms with beating reeds are not suited for adaptation to the production of fabrics of different diameters, especially when a very wide range of diameters is rei .20 quired. The fabric is always produced in a tubular'form, so that if for certain applications a flat fabric is needed, the fabric must be cut after being taken from the loom. Y

The circular loom of the present invention has warp beam situated in the lower part of the loom, and on leaving this beam the warp is divided into bands of parallel yarns which, after passing through rollers or guiding devices. situated on the periphery of the loom, are directed so 30 as to form the shed. The heddles actuate each of these bands of warp separately and are operated by mechanism, which reduces the weight of the parts in motion to a minimum, and consequently also reduces the effects of inertia.

My improved loom also comprises a particular varrangement of the beating reeds and also mechanism which ensures the operation of the said reeds at great speed, which permits of increasing `the output of the machine, also the arrangement beating reeds provided for its adaptation for producing fabrics of largely different diameters.

The improved loom of my invention also comprises mechanism for compensating the taking in the warp yarns when the sheds close or open, and this ensures that the tensions of the yarn may be easily rendered equal, thereby increasing the perfection of the resulting fabric.

In addition, the mechanism which actuates the heddles and the mechanism which compensates the tensions of the Warp when the shed is formed are' actuated in their operation by one and the samecam, which is a great simplification, inas- `55 fmuch as the loom only has two excentrics for the December 13, 1935 operation of all the movable parts of the loom, namely the one'which has just been referred to, and another cam which actuates the beating reeds.

Finally the loom also comprises additional mechanism operating to weave a couple of inside selvedges in the tubular fabric along one of the generating lines, and to cut the said tubular fabric lengthwise as and when it is formed, whereby, instead of a fabric in tubular form being obtained, the machine produces a flat fabric folded along its middle line, which can afterwards be easily unrolled and is left in a completely extended form, more favourable for subjecting it to subsequent operations of dressing or finish.

The annexed drawings illustrate by way' of example a form of construction of the circular loom of my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the loom along its axis. y Figure 2 is a similar section on a larger scale of that part of Figure 1 which comprises the weaving mechanism proper.

Figure 3 is a detail illustrating the movements of the beating reeds of the weft.

Figure 4 is a section on line IV-IV of Figure Figure 5 is a section on line V-V of Figure l.

Figure 6 is another section on lin-e VI-VI of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a detail of one of the beating reeds in a plan View.

Figure 8 is a detail plan View of the shuttle and of the path on which it travels.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing in elevation the path traversed by the warp yarns from the low-er beam up to the point of formation of the fabrics.

Figure 10 represents this same path of the warp yarns in plan view.

Figure 11 is a detail View representing the mechanism for cutting the fabric.

Figure 12 is a detail of a modification of the arrangement of this cutting mechanism.

As will be seen from the drawings and particularly from Figures l and 2, the shaft of thev driving pulley I transmits its rotation to the shaft 3 through the agency of the gear 2. This shaft 3 is housed in the interior of the hollow column 4, which together with other similar columns, supports the upper part of the loom. By means of 50 the gear 5, shaft 6 and gear l the movement is transmitted from the shaft 3 to the gear wheel 8, which meshes with four or more pinions 9 which are integral with as many shafts lll housed in columns Il. At the upper end of these shafts l0: 55

are helicoidal pinions I2 suitably distributed over the periphery of the track or path I 3 along which the shuttles I4 travel. These shuttles are curved in order to adapt them to the form of the circular track I3 and are detachably tted on carriages I5 also curved, provided with a toothed sector which engages with th-e said pinions I2.

The lower toothed wheel 3 is integral with a tube or sleeve I6 which may be integral with the said wheel and which'rotates around the fixed central shaft 26. In addition, this toothed wheel 8 carries a cam I 'I'likewise integral with it, which in rotating actuates slides I8 which travel on Xed guides I9 and pull along the chains or cables 28 coupled up to the heddles 2l and 22. I'hese cables are guided by pulleys 24 at the upper ends and 25 at the lower ends, forming endless cables so that when the slide I8 travels along the guides I9 by the action of the excentric Il the movement of the heddles is produced in order to open and close the shed.

The warp is divided into sections or bands of yarn as is clearly shown in Figures 9 and 10, and

the heddles ZI and 22 are formed by frames, each of which corresponds to the yarn of one section or band of warp so that all the warp yarns corresponding to each of these bands or sections are operated simultaneously.

The same slide I8 which drives the heddles also actuates mechanism for compensating the tension of the warp by taking up the warp which is left slack during the change of shed, in this way causing the tension of the warp to be constant.

For this purpose the slide I8 is provided with an arm or extension which forms a guide or slide path on which is placed a roller or projection 23 of an oscillating part in the form of a sector 29. This part rotates around a shaft 3! and is at its tip Si jointed by means of a connecting rod 32 to the arm 33 of .an angular leve-r 33, 3d which rotates round the shaft All, and the other arm 3d of which ends in a roller or neck 35 which slides in a guide or eye 36 formed on another angular lever 36, 3l' which rotates around the shaft 38. This angular lever carries at the end of its arm 31 a roller or rod 32 in contact with the warp 4I. When the slide I3 moves along the guide I9 the said angular levers move until they take up the position indicated in dash lines in Figure 2. and Athe roller 39, acting on the warp dI, takes up the amount of this warp which remains slack on the closing of the shed and restores it when it reopens. Owing to the combination of levers and connecting rods adopted, the movement of the arm 3l is of the frequency of that of the slide I8 so that for each stroke of this slide, and consequently of the heddles, the arm 3l effects a complete to and fro movement, in order to take up warp while the shed is closing and give it gack again when the shed opens.

In 'the drawings, for greater clearness, one

mechanism only for taking up the Warp is shown and one mechanism only for actuating the heddles, but as can be understood, these mechanisms are repeated round the circumference of the loom for each of the bands or groups of warp, and all of them are actuated successively by the rotating movement of the eXcentricrI'I.

On the upper end of the rotating tube or sleeve I6 is mounted another cam 2 which actuates the beating reeds for the weft, which form segments corresponding to each one of the warp groups and are actuated independently of each other.

Each of these reed segments is made up, as shown in Figure 7, of a series of prongs 'I8 parallel with each other, and connected by a member 'I9 which is detachably fixed by means of screws 80 to a back support 8|, which forms two branches 82, 83 by means of which it is mounted rotatably round the shaft Bl. Of these two branches the one 63 is prolonged at the back, forming a guide or fork B4.

In order to actuate these reed segments there are provided for each of them three fixed guide bars fle, 44 and G5. On the tWo bars 44, Figures 2 and 3, is a slide '46 which carries the pivot shaft l of the segment of reed "i8, and on the bar 45 is another slide 48 which actuates the back arm 84 of the reed, in order to cause this reed to oscillate round its shaft 4l. The result of this is that the reed l!! has an up and down movement along the bars 44, and at the same time a movement of oscillation around the shaft 41. By the combination of these two movements the reed 'I8 acquires a complex movement, in which it successively assumes the different positions shown in Figure 3, the result being thus secured, by means of a simple mechanism, not only of giving the reed a great amplitude of movement, but also of causing it to conduct the weft suitably to the top of the shed.

In order to impart this movement to the slides it and 49 an angular lever 5I is provided which is rotatable about the shaft 53, one of the arms of which slides by means of a ball 52 in the interior of the cam channel 63 while the other arm carries@ connecting rods 65-69 an equal number of pivoted at 55 and 55, which are joined to the slides d5 and 49 respectively.

The stroke of the reed segments can VbeV graduated as desired by adopting the arrangement shown in Figure 3, in which, in the lever 5I, a number of holes 55 are provided, in which the pivot pins 54, 55 can be placed for the connecting rods 56, 59 which connect the lever 5I to the slides d6, 49. In order to obtain a greater range of graduation of the movement of the reed the two connecting rods 66, 69 or only one of them, can be arranged as shown in Figure 3 for the connecting rod 552, that is to say the provision of an enlarged end having holes for the pivot pins 55 and 55. In,

can the effective length of the this way not only lever arm 5I be varied, but also the eiective length of the two connecting rods 66 or 69, which permits of graduating the movement of the reed l5 for different diameters of fabric. Consequently, when it is desired to alter the diameter of the fabric which is to'bemade, it is only necessary to suitably adjust the movement of the reed, to replace the segment 78 by another of suitable width, and in addition to replace the hoop B8 which serves as a guide for the formation of the fabric by another of the corresponding diameter.

The above mechanism is supported by a ring 56 which also carriesthe track or path ofthe shuttle and is fixed to the upper part of the arms 5U of the framework of the loom. This ring 56 exhibits a series of vertical ribs 51 united in their upper part by a ring 59, so that the lower ring 56, the ribs 5l and the upper ring 59 form a single piece. Between the ribs 5l there are spaces 58 through which the heddles 2l, 22 and the cables 2l! which actuate them pass.

The upper ring 59 has Iixed to it the guide rods et, 45, the upper ends of which are fixed to a small plate 8U mounted on the upper part of the fixed shaft 25.

The path or track of the shuttle is made up of a series of vertical members I3 preferably of steel, of the shape shown in Figure 2, and xed to the ribs 5'I by means` of bolts 6 I. These members I3 are suitably spaced to permit free movement of the heddles of the groups of warp yarn and of the reed segments and of the carriages I5 which carry the shuttle. Owing to the separation between these pieces I3 the carriages I5 are able to move without great friction.

The shuttle I4 comprises a box which can be fixed demountably on the carriage I5 and in the interior of which the weft bobbins are contained. In the example illustrated it is assumed that the shuttle contains four weft bobbins connected in series which represents a supply of weft sufficient for a considerable quantity of fabric. The weft yarn 63 which unwinds from the bobbin, passes, in the arrangement shown, through holes made in a lug or projection of the shuttle box in order to be guided to the top of the shed.

As will be seen in fuller detail in Figures 9 and 10, the Warp is unwound from a single beam 1I] arranged in the lower part of the loom, and passes through a reed or comb 1I, on leaving which it is distributed into bands of parallel yarn which pass through the combs 12 arranged on the periphery of the loom, and over Iguide rollers 13 after which they pass on to form the shed of the fabric. The comb 1I is arranged in such a manner that it coincides with a. diameter of the loom, and starting from it the subdivision of the warp is effected into bands in each of which the yarns are parallel with each other, so that these yarns pass in through the heddles and the beating reeds. As all these warp yarns come from a single beam, their tension is much more uniform than in the circular looms, in which the warp comes from differentv beams, and this, in addition to simplifying the construction of the loom, results in a greater perfection in the fabric manufactured.

The fabric is made in the form of a tube, which can be folded by providing in the central part of the loom a part 14 intended for folding and smoothing, the fabric being afterwards wound round the beam 16 by means of the drawing cylinder 15. Nevertheless if preferred, the fabric can be cutv and folded along the middle lengthwise, by tting to the machine mechanism which will produce false selved-ges, of any known type and also cutting mechanism which will cut the fabric between the two inside or false seivedges. This mechanism may comprise a knife fixed to the folder 14, as represented inv Figure 11, or as represented in Figure 12, a cutting disc 86, actuated by a belt 81, driven in its turn by the shaft 3.

I claim:-

1. A circular loom with rotating shuttles actuated by gears, having in combination: a single warp beam arranged in the lower part of the loom from which the warp unwinds, a reed situated along a diameter o-f the loom and through which the warp passes on leaving the warp beam, said reed serving for distributing the warp into uniformly spaced bands and guiding reeds and guiding rollers on the periphery of the loom for guiding said warp bands to the shed in such manner that the yarns of each band remain parallel with each other.

2. A circular loom according to claim 1, in which a beating reed for the weft divided into segments is provided, an ascending and descending slide on which each of the reed segments is mounted rotatably, a second slide which is also given an ascending and descending movement, an arm on said first mentioned slide coupled to said second slide in such manner that the reed segment receives a combined movement of translation and oscillation in order to apply the weft to the top of the shed.

3. Circular loom according to claim 1, in which two slides are provided corresponding to each reed segment and said slides are connected by means of as many connecting rods to different points of one and the same arm of a lever actuated by a cam, whereby the movements of the two slides are of different amplitudes.

4. Circular loom according to claim 1, in which a slide is provided connected to an actuating lever by means of connecting rods of adjustable length, while the point of coupling up of the said connecting rods with'the actuating lever is variable, with the object of providing means for varying the amplitude of the displacments of the reed segment, and to easily adapt this amplitude of movement to the diameter of the fabric which it is desired toy manufacture.

5. Circular loom according to claim 1, in which mechanism compensating the tension of the warp on opening and closing the shed is provided, which comprises a cam which actuates said mechanism comprising levers and connecting rods which produces the oscillation of an angular lever which ends in a roller on which the warp rests in such a manner that at each movement of the heddles the roller .effects a double movement, in order to take up warp while the shed is closing and restore it when the shed opens.

6. Circular loom according to claim 1, wherein a cam is provided which actuates the mechanism which compensates the warp also actuates the heddles.

7. Circular loom according to claim 1, in which guides for the slides are provided and a fixed supporting crown formed by two superposed rings, joined to each other by means of vertical ribs, separated from each other by spaces for the passage of the heddles and of the cables which actuate them is provided, the upper ring serving as a support for the guides of the slides which actuate the reed sectors.

8. Circular loom according to claim 1, in which a supporting crown is provided and a series of members shaped according to the section corresponding to the shuttle, and fixed to the ribs of the supporting crown which members form the guide or path on which the shuttle moves and are suitably spaced is provided, in order to allow the passage between them of the bands of warped yarns.

JUAN BALSACH. 

